Lina glanced at Zuko with a hint of coquettishness in her eyes.
“I don’t want to jump to conclusions or say anything unnecessary. After all, she’s just your ‘good buddy’!” Lina
drawled teasingly, blinking like a cunning little fox.
Amused by her playful banter, Zuko felt the urge to tease her further, but he also wanted to give her a taste of
“violence”. Thus, he playfully pulled her into his embrace and held her tightly.
Upon sensing his mischievous intent, Lina pushed him away and looked at him teasingly.
Meanwhile, Toph held Renee’s hand and intentionally walked ahead, paying little attention to the couple behind
them.
Zuko grinned and whispered in Lina’s ear, “If you don’t like Desiree, I’ll stop associating with her.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Don’t do that!” Lina widened her eyes. “She’s a guest from grandma’s side and your childhood playmate with
Toph. Suddenly distancing yourself from her doesn’t seem appropriate, right?”
“Oh…” Zuko nodded. “Then I’ll slowly keep my distance.”
Lina smiled and wrapped her hand around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder.
The sea breeze cooled the summer night as the starry sky sparkled like gemstones on a blue curtain, creating a
tranquil and distant atmosphere. The laughter of the four friends blended into the peaceful night.
–
During this time, Zuko felt a bit resentful as Lina was always occupied with work, leaving him feeling neglected.
Even during company meetings, he seemed absent-minded, frequently checking his phone for messages, which
never seemed to come.
Zuko slammed his phone down on the table, screen-down, startling the others in the middle of the meeting.
Zephyr glared at him. “What’s the matter?”
Toph quickly came up with an excuse. “It’s nothing, dad. Zuko’s just worried about a pimple near his nose! He’s got
a lot on his mind!”
Zephyr didn’t quite understand the euphemism but simply pursed his lips and continued the meeting.
Zuko refocused on the matters at hand and proposed several well-prepared investment plans with substantial
returns. Finally, he managed to impress his usually stern father.
“I heard your Uncle Nicholas is also transitioning to the venture capital field,” Zephyr said, looking at Zuko. “You
should visit the Thompson Group if you have time and—”
Before Zephyr could finish his sentence, he looked up and saw that his son had vanished without a trace.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
Zuko rushed to the Thompson Group as fast as he could.
–
The secretary guided Zuko to Lina’s office, where he found her diligently working amidst a mess of documents and
design sketches.
Unlike glamorous office workers from TV dramas, Lina was dressed simply in a white shirt and jeans, her hair tied
loosely in a ponytail, with a few strands falling on her forehead.
She had followed Zuko’s advice on keeping casual clothes in the office to improve efficiency, especially when they
didn’t have client meetings. As workaholics who often spent over ten hours a day at the office, it made sense not to
exhaust themselves with formal attire.
“Mr. Hamerton, are you going in?” the secretary asked.
Zuko gestured for her to leave with a light smile and stood at the office door for a moment until Lina noticed him.
“When did you come?” Lina exclaimed with delight, rushing over to hold his hand. “You didn’t tell me you were
coming. How long have you been standing there?”
Zuko checked his watch and chuckled. “Half an hour.”